The disproportionately high number of motorcycle-related traffic accidents may be linked to the way the human brain processes—or fails to process—information, according to new research published in Human Factors, "Allocating Attention to Detect Motorcycles: The Role of Inattentional Blindness." The study examines how the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, or a person's failure to notice an unexpected object located in plain sight, might explain the prevalence of looked-but-failed-to-see (LBFTS) crashes, the most common type of collision involving motorcycles.
According to human factors/ergonomics researchers Kristen Pammer, Stephanie Sabadas, and Stephanie Lentern, LBFTS crashes are particularly troublesome because, despite clear conditions and the lack of other hazards or distractions, drivers will look in the direction of the oncoming motorcycle - and in some cases appear to look directly at the motorcycle - but still pull out into its path.
The study authors suggest training drivers to be more alert for motorcycles.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday January 07 2018, @02:37AM (4 children)
Yes, legal in CA, last I paid attention. Basically a case of legalizing what they do anyway.
I've seen a few car-vs-motorcycle, and it's invariably been a lane-splitter in the car's blind spot as they change lanes at slow speed.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 07 2018, @07:34PM (3 children)
I'm not a motorcyclist, but it does seem to me that lane-splitting isn't so bad or dangerous if it's done in heavy, stopped traffic, for instance at a stop light where there's 2+ lanes and all the cars are at a stand-still while the light is red. The motorcycle can slowly drive up between the cars to the front, then easily out-accelerate everyone when the light turns green, which lessens the traffic load and gets more vehicles through the light while it's green. But yeah, doing it in moving traffic seems like a bad idea.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Sunday January 07 2018, @08:08PM (2 children)
Yeah, dead-stop traffic isn't really a huge issue -- most of the time. But then you get the bike who lane-splits, gets up to the front, then neglects to notice he's between dual turn lanes where one is optional-turn, and goes straight when the guy next to him legitimately turns... smack into the bike. Or the bike who stops having sneaked up on the far right intending to go straight, then is astonished when the car (or worse, big truck) doing a legit right turn clips his front wheel.
Where I've seen it be a problem on L.A. freeways is the transition areas between HOV and normal lanes, or where a left lane merges right, and the bike thinks because he can fit in the space between, he's golden. Basically, anywhere there's a lot of turning or lane changing makes it a bad idea.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday January 07 2018, @10:56PM (1 child)
Seems to me that it should be restricted to places where there's two lanes both going straight, and that the biker can only go between the straight-only lanes. That should avoid these corner cases, while still deriving most of the benefit that lane-splitting gives to the overall traffic situation.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday January 08 2018, @12:29AM
Yeah, basically "don't do it where doing it is Darwinistic".
Tho as a me-too to above remarks, more than once I've had some biker come along between and have to duck my tow mirrors at the last instant... in parts of L.A. with the old narrow freeway lanes, there isn't actually enough room, but some still try it. Never had one helmet himself on my truck, but it was sometimes a near thing.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.